Is it expensive to finish a show dog?

Question

I'm planning on getting a puppy soon and I was hoping to get a show quality dog so I can show him in the future, but I've heard that costs can add up to $20,000 to finish a dog. Is this true at all, does it cost that much? When I heard this it kind of shattered my hopes, and I was recommended to get a pet quality dog.
Thank you in advance for your answers.

Answer 1

So much depends on your circumstances.

If you have several local shows, and train/ handle the dog yourself, it doesn't cost very much.

If you have a quality dog, s/he will finish much faster, than a dog that has to be entered enough times to find a blind judge.

If your own regional club sponsors shows that are politically heated, its a waste of time to show there.

If you have chosen a breed that is hard to find a major for ( enough entries of that breed) it can get expensive.

If you have chosen a breed that requires professional grooming, show grooming can be very expensive, whereas a wash n wear breed doesn't doesn't require a pro.

If you are careful to train correctly, ( from the VERY beginning) and train yourself as an able handler, it will cost less than having to hire it done. Even the best dog can't win with an inept handler or poor training.



I'm lucky enough to live where there are several cluster shows within a 3 hour drive. My dogs are good enough to take BOB in nearly every show, so that I can finish a dog in a season, with very little travel expense.

I just returned here from a small coastal community. If I had chosen to campaign a dog while living there, I would have been out a LOT more..as each show would have required hours of travel, overnight housing, and a 7 hour "mountainous" drive to find a major in my breed.



I looked into sending a dog out with a handler..It would have cost $500 per month plus his other expenses.



So, the expenses depend on many factors.



I only have to put out about $200-300 in club membership and entry fees, and about $200 travel costs.

You should contact your local kennel club, and ask..They will be happy to share their knowledge. Better yet, join your local club, as there are a LOT of perks, including training classes.

You can find your local club in the akc.org website.



Important***

Take a mentor with you to choose the puppy. There is no substitute for the experienced eye.



Added:

I have tried co-ownerships. They are too confining, and don't allow leeway for life's happenings. The dog may be taken from you if you become ill and can't show, or have to move from the region..etc..I would never co-own again, and don't recommend it.

Now, if the breeder would want to just mentor you, that works..

Answer 2

Depends on many things really. How far you need to travel to shows, if you show or get another handler to do it etc, and yes, it all adds up, thus the reason responsible breeders don't earn money from breeding and showing, they lose money.



If you still want to show you could do so with only local shows, showing yourself, but in reality a dog will finish a lot quicker if they can get to all the shows and have all those opportunities to win.



Showing (and breeding) is a very expensive hobby, when at the end of the day all you hope for is those ribbons and certificates, and that your efforts are helping maintain the breed you love.

Answer 3

I am planning to show in conformation in the future as well. From my study is seems like it would cost a good amount of money and 20K over time? Maybe so.



Like the others said it really depends on your area. If you are in a big area like LA or NYC that has lots of shows and you don't have to travel much it might be cheap. Entry fees really are not that much, its the money you spend on travel like gas, food, hotel, etc.



I would talk to your breeder about it. Maybe they will do a co-ownership and help you show the dog. It really depends on your situation and everything to determine the cost. However honestly breeders are not rich, so I couldn't see a breeder with 8 finished champions spending 20K on each dog.



Talk with your local breeder. Showing is not cheap, but can be a great rewarding experience. If its something you really want to do it might be worth while.

Answer 4

It's expensive to show a dog, no matter what the dog sport. In conformation, whether or not you need to hire a handler, depends on the breed. For instance, my breed is dachshunds, while there are some professional handlers, most of the dachshunds (in my area anyway) are owner/handler.



Entry fees are anywhere from $25 to $31.00 (again, in my area). So you have entry fees, travel fees (gas, possible hotel) etc. I'm not including handler fees. Handlers are expensive.



I happen to handle my own dog, so does my dogs breeder. I do have friends who use professional handlers.



If you take a handling class, you can learn to do it yourself and at least be able to keep some money in your pocket.



edit: I'm in the NYC area and while there are a lot of shows available to me, entry fees are $25.00 and up. Gas in my area is $2.99 a gallon as of today. We pay bridge & tunnel tolls, to enter or leave NYC. Our tolls are anywhere from $8.00 - $11.00, this adds up. So ot exactly a cheap hobby, especially for those of us who live in the Big City..



There are a bunch of dog shows in Long Island. Visit either Jim Rau Dog Shows or Infodog.



Long Island Ladies KC hold a lot of shows.

Answer 5

It depends a lot on the breed, where you're showing, how good your dog is, whether you do it yourself or hire a handler, whether you stick to local shows or travel long distances, whether you camp out or travel in an RV or stay at hotels......



I show Basset Hounds in Ontario. My dogs are good quality, I handle them myself, and I usually stick close to home or camp out in a tent. Our main problem is lack of competition, so it takes a long time to accumulate the points. I've never spent anywhere close to $20,000 to finish a dog. Heck, last year I finished TWO champions, two RNs, one AGN and put two legs on an RA. Even then I didn't spend anywhere near $20,000.



If you're showing Standard Poodles, you're in a breed that's dominated by handlers, and is grooming intensive. You either need to hire a handler, or you need to practice a LOT and show for a long time to get your points. OTOH, if you're showing a Cardigan Welsh Corgi, the competition is not as stiff, there's not so much grooming involved, and there's more owner handlers. If you're showing in California, there'll be lots of competition so it's hard to get a win. In other areas, there's too little competition so it's hard to get enough dogs for points and majors.



If you want to try showing, I suggest getting a male, because breeders usually have more good quality males than they can use or find show homes for. The average breeder will be delighted if you express interest in showing. Go to handling classes, learn to groom him well, practice, practice, practice, then go out there and HAVE FUN!



EDIT: A lot of breeders in the US insist on co-owning a show dog with novices, primarily because show dogs must be on open registration, so breeding is not restricted. If you are considering a co-ownership, I would talk with other people in the breed (and other breeds) to find out what is normal and acceptable. Some breeders have reasonable co-ownerships simply to protect their dogs from being exploited by unethical owners, others have simply ridiculous contracts that pretty much run your life and are solely for the benefit of the breeder. Be very careful with this, co-ownerships can result in a wonderful friendship, or they can be a complete disaster. Make sure you completely consider the possible consequences of every clause, and question everything.



The situation is easier in Canada, because dogs on a limited (non-breeding) registration can still be shown.

Answer 6

Some people will feed the dog when dinner is over and they think that's different, but the dog can't tell when it's dinner time and will bug you until you stop dinner and then feed him. So think about the chain of behavior that you're rewarding here. Learn here https://tr.im/gsrNo



Contrary to what you're being told here, feeding your dog "people food" is not what's making him beg. I'm a professional trainer and always feed my dog human quality training treats (cut up chicken, cheese, beef, turkey, etc.) and those of us trainers who do this never have a begging problem. Our dogs know that they get "paid" for correct behavior and never from the table. You could feed your dog dogfood from the table and have a begging problem. It isn't *what* you're feeding, but *when* and *where* you feed him that counts.



If you have a problem with begging, the odds are that you have other problems as well. Consider taking your dog to a basic training class to teach him to obey when you ask him to do something or stop doing something undesirable. Dogs that bark and pester you have learned bad habits-- from you! Going to a training class will help you unlearn those and help you get into better habits.

Answer 7

It depends on the quality of the dog and how well he shows, and if you decide to special him. I just finished my last one this fall for a little over $1K, and that was with a handler. The best dogs can finish in a single 3 show weekend with enough entries. Don't be discouraged. Get your puppy, and show him to a simple championship. Then you can make the determination of whether you want, or can afford to have him specialed.

Answer 8

it truly isn't any longer the man shows, it truly is the full procedure. buying a prepare high quality puppy. Registering the canines AKC. club costs for in spite of the truth that nearby kennel club you belong too. wellbeing/genetic finding out for the canines. travelling to shows, in case you prefer to do better than nearby shows. kit to deliver with you- crates, grooming procedures, tables, and so on. preparation instructions for conformation / coping with. and so on. if you're in simple terms showing locally, it in simple terms isn't all that top priced once you get previous the initial costs. i'm getting began with showing my Papillon puppy, the shows around the following run about $25 a prepare. i imagine both the owner or handler in many situations grooms the canines, i don't understand lots of those who've a separate groomer. a lot of human beings do use handlers, inspite of the very incontrovertible truth that the rage in route of proprietor/handlers and breeder/proprietor/handlers is growing.

Answer 9

Talk to the breeder. They can give you a better idea but yes $20k sounds right. Entry fees, travel, lodging, gas, food while on the road, and probably a couple of years of all your free time.

Answer 10

Absolutely. When you figure to show at least twice a month with entry fees, hotel stays, food, gas, training, etc... unless you finish your dog very quickly, it adds up fast.

Answer 11

Depends on any number of factors including if you handle yourself or pay a professional handler, are there lots of shows in your area or will you have to travel, if there are shows in your area are there enough dogs of your breed that compete in them to make a major, if not you will have to travel etc. It can be as cheap as entrance fees or get quite expensive